We have been an odd roller coaster this year. Getting fabulous reviews... everything I could hope for actually. But some nights attendance is great... others not so much? How about you guys?
Corwyn
Nightmare's Gate Haunted House
nightmaresgate.com

"What I need is more power and less *@^! from you people....... HEY....... who took my tiara of pain!!!"

we have had 2 record breaking nights, but on the nights that we are usually the busiest, it has rained and hurt the overall numbers. Like you said, it has been a roller coaster. At this point, it could go either way, we might be up a little, or down a little. It's raining right now. Rain sucks.

Between a rainout on both days of opening weekend, 2 less days this year to start with, and the second weekend of the month being way down from last season, I can only describe this season as a disaster for attendance. We've had great reviews from people who have attended, but now we need to figure out how to fill more seats for the last two weeks of the season. I think it's more a marketing problem than anything else. Since we aren't a straight up haunted house or haunted trail, people seem tentative about buying in and trying it.

There are three rules to designing a haunt. Unfortunately, nobody knows what they are.

I started this same exactly thread on the other forums... this is probably our worst attendance in 10 plus years! Its pretty bad but not horrible. We got hit with Rain on a Friday that killed that night, and now we have the Cardinals making another run to a World Series. I have a few things I'm milling around in my mind as to why...

I should do a seminar on the subject but I think I know why attendance is going flat to down for most haunts ... sure rain or weather can have an impact but there are other reasons.

I think the real world might be getting scarier than what can be created for entertainment.

Nuclear melt downs
Who is going to be President
The beginning of WW3 in the middle east
The economy totally crashing
What is the new flu epidemic
Myan Profecy and Bible says things

All at least possible scenarios now discussed by the regular media, not just conspiracy media anymore. Every cause and concern is getting air time and fear scenario attention and it is at least to make money for the media people even if it is all just another Y2K and nothing happens in the end. Fear sells and they sure are selling.

There was an article that even these baseball games aren't really getting the attendance and they move people in the stands to fill the seats on the lower decks so it looks full on TV.

Another fabulous post from the U.S.Department of Wild Imaginings, now in spectaclar stereo, sponsored by the Adhesives and Sealants Council, suggesting ways to stick things together since the 1800s. Not fabulous in a gay way. Your results may vary. Illinois residents add 8% sales tax. These posts have been made by professional post makers, do not try this type of posting on your own without extensive training, lovely assistants and a trusty clown horn.

Our numbers are down considerably, but much of that is that we missed out last year due to not getting a suitable building. We are also in a neighboring town with less population this year. It's picking up and we're getting great reviews, but definitely not the numbers we're used to. This past weekend we decided to add the 2nd and 3rd of Nov to the season to see if we can help bring the numbers back up.